TASERTown: "Don't Grease Me Bro!"

 And IT starts to unravel.....

http://www.koat.com/news/mayor-on-taser-dealings-no-conflict-of-interest/26258138#!SQ30C

Faced with scrutiny that's grown like the city's national reputation for government crime and corruption, Richard "RJ" Berry came out of the shadows to answer questions about Taser and his electro-dynamic duo, Tom Streicher and Scott Greenwood's connections to Taser.

In an interview with KOAT's Regina Ruiz, Berry confirmed what we've all but known. That they either knew about Streicher & Greenwood's commercial pay-to-play dealings with Taser and didn't care OR they knew about it and didn't care. Either way, we care because it's either gross incompetence or gross corruption, and kudos for Ms. Ruiz for boxing RJ in.

When asked about the vetting process for these two Taser contractors, oops, we mean "consultants," Berry said:

"That wasn't a topic of discussion because that's not what we hired them to do."

"No, didn't ask."

"I don't believe there's a conflict of interest."

"We hired them to negotiate this agreement, not to pick what equipment we use inside the Albuquerque Police Department from the stand point of one brand or the other."

So tell us RJ, with DOJ confirming that APD has a pattern and practice of use of force abuses involving Tasers, do you really think these two fellows are going to do ANYTHING that is against Taser's interests in Albuquerque? Are they really going to endorse ANYTHING that reduces the use and deployment of Tasers? Of course not, because they are conflicted out.  That would be like hiring a Federal ammunition rep to come to the city and recommend the department start using Remington bullets! That would be like having TJ be a spokesperson for city fitness standards! That would be like having Rob Perry as a spokesperson for sobriety! That would be like having APD's spokesperson Janet Blair be a spokesperson for IPRA compliance! That would be like having Schultz as a spokesperson for...oh well you get our point. It's just....greasy!

He says this wasn't a topic of conversation because a local business owner referred him to the Cincinnati people. Hmmm, could this local business owner be Ray Schultz or Darren White?

Look folks, let's quit the dancing around. What's going on here is nothing short of public corruption at its worst. A top city employee got a sweet gig after hooking a large city vendor up with a sweet deal. Now we have all sorts of other leaders either playing dumb ( meaning they're incompetent) or concealing what happened (meaning they're committing crimes).

I mean, we all know that Schultz "greased" the way for Taser to get their largest police contract in their history and then left the department to work for Taser. (Our Eyes tell us it's not IF the hammer drops on that little play-n-pay scenario but WHEN...). We know that Schultz endorsed, conspired, and actively violated the law on many occasions in an effort to promote and keep his commercial dealings with Taser from being derailed. Heck, he even changed APD rules and regulations so that officers could use their Taser's more frequently! And so it goes....

___________________________________________

http://www.koat.com/news/second-lawsuit-filed-in-mary-han-case/26259540#!SQ3Q8

But just when things couldn't get more disgusting, things continue. We've been quietly watching as the lawsuit against the city and Darren White unfold in the Mary Han case. Well, it seems yesterday the other shoe dropped. The family of the deceased civil rights attorney has filed against the "esteemed" former NM Supreme Court justice (and frequent visitor to Socorro we are told) for his tampering and, rather loose accounting, of his former partner's estate. You see if anybody knows anything about probate, we know that it is a long slow drawn out process. Yet some how Kennedy was able to get himself named as the estate's personnel representative about a week after Ms. Han was found deceased by none other than....Kennedy. Of course, Kennedy's lawyer, Chuck Peifer (also the same lawyer defending the Journal and Kent Walz) said his client's hands are clean and that it's all Ms. Han's family's fault.  Blaming the family of a woman whose death scene was trampled by over two-dozen people from the city.  Really taking the high road on that one Mr. Peifer.

The lawsuit says Kennedy had unrestricted access to Ms. Han's estate for almost a year before being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Oops....

  -----Waskily Wabbit

TASERTown Part II

We know how frequently your loveable Eye frequently gets carried away is often rather wordy. Well, in the spirit of being concise we thought we'd just let some pictures speak for themselves. Here are some images from a popular power point and sales pitch by the dynamic duo known as Tom Streicher and Scott Greenwood. We think what's unfolding is rather "electrifying!"

And given CAO Robert Perry's previous statements that all the contracting between the city and Taser followed the "appropriate steps", I think it's time for our friends in the media to demand Perry/Berry & Co prove they followed all these steps. DEMAND a release all email correspondences between the city and Streicher & Greenwood, LLC.  DEMAND a release of all contract documents concerning the city and Taser. DEMAND a record of all Taser uses....  

P.S. Or what do you say folks....should we give these people a pass if they agree to ride the bull in public...that means you Perry, Berry, Streicher, and Greenwood....

Welcome to TASERtown

http://cabq.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=70

The above link is for the City Council meeting of May 19 2014.  Richard Berry’s two heroes, Scott Greenwood and Tom Streicher addressed the city council at this meeting.  Questions have swirled regarding just who these two are, how did Berry find them, what is there connection with Schultz, what will they do for Albuquerque and what is their track record.

Starting at minute 24:00, Scott Greenwood makes some very disturbing comments.  First, Greenwood states that he and Streicher opened their business “a couple of years ago”. Well checking online with the Secretary of State of Ohio we see that Greenwood & Streicher LLC was opened on April 19, 2013.  That’s thirteen months, not a couple of years. (entity number 2192938, document number 201311200624). 

Next Greenwood talks in detail about their “experience”, but an online search shows that Greenwood & Streicher have only reviewed one police department, Hamilton County Sheriff, located in Cincinnati, Ohio.  (Streicher was police chief of Cincinnati). http://www.hcso.org/. 

Reviewing a police agency is a lot different than being the target of an investigation, as Streicher’s Cincinnati Police Department was.  So were these guys the most experienced team that Berry could find?  We won’t know because it was not opened to competitive bid.  Apparently Greenwood & Streicher LLC was the only company contacted.  Sounds a lot like the Taser Axon Lapel Camera contract doesn’t it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,??

Then at 25:40 things get really interesting.  Councilor Rey Garduno asks Greenwood how they were contacted.  Greenwood says that “the city called twice.  First was from our (Albuquerque) old chief (Ray Schultz) when the city received the Department of Justice letter.  Ray called them and asked, “What happened?  What happened?”

This is a strange way for Schultz to phrase his phone call to Greenwood, “What happened?” Could it be that Greenwood & Streicher had already been working behind the scenes with Schultz?  Was the DoJ investigation not supposed to happen? And Schultz was surprised when it did?  Could this be another “greased” moment? 

We deserve to know why and when did Schultz first contact Greenwood & Streicher. And the connection between Schultz and Greenwood & Streicher has a very disturbing common denominator: Taser.

Was Taser involved in any of this?  Who first put Schultz in touch with Greenwood?  Schultz, Greenwood and Streicher all have very strong ties to Taser, was it these ties that brought Greenwood & Streicher LLC to Albuquerque?  We are hearing they worked together at a Taser conference,,,,,,,

Consider this, Greenwood & Streicher LLC did not open until April 19, 2013. The Department of Justice announced their investigation into APD in November 2012.  Did Greenwood & Streicher LLC decide to open their company because they already had the inside track for a lucrative contract with the city of Albuquerque?  I would surmise that Albuquerque taxpayers will be on the hook to Greenwood & Streicher LLC for well over a million dollars by the time this is all finished, and everyone is saying this is going to take years.

The questioning by Garduno continues and Greenwood says this to him in response, “That was the recommendation of the Department of Justice, that they (Albuquerque) reach out to us.”  Really?   The Department of Justice told Schultz / Berry to call Greenwood & Streicher LLC?  If this is true there would be a paper trail and I believe all of us would like to see those documents and emails.  I find it hard to believe the DoJ would tell APD / Albuquerque to call a private attorney and his pal from Cincinnati at the beginning of the investigation.  Or even at the end of the investigation. Since when does the DoJ recommend legal counsel to the police departments they are investigating?  This makes no sense and the Department of Justice needs to come forth and explain.  If they did direct Albuquerque business to Greenwood & Streicher LLC, why?  Is that ethical? Legal?  If they did not then what is Greenwood saying?  What is the real story?

Greenwood then says they did not hear anything for a year and a half.  Then suddenly he gets a phone call from the mayor (Berry). So Schultz still had Berry’s ear (just like he promised Taser he would) and he told Berry to call Greenwood.  This is the entire vetting process?  We are about to spend probably millions for these two guys from Cincinnati and the entire background is Schultz telling Berry to call them.  I feel very sick to my stomach that we might not have the best counsel money can buy, but I am sure they are going to make us pay, dearly.  Who does business like this?  Would you spend your money this way?  Would Berry spend his own money without checking around first?  Oh it’s not his money, it’s ours.

Greenwood does say they work for the city of Albuquerque.  What is not asked is Greenwood and Streicher’s ties to Taser and was it those ties that put Ray Schultz into contact with them?  If the DoJ demands that Taser guns be removed from APD or moved back up the Use of Force Continuum, will Greenwood & Streicher LLC agree or will they fight this because this means less money for Taser?  Have Greenwood & Streicher severed all ties with Taser? If not, why? And what capacity is their employment?

Below are several links that should concern all of us with how deep the Taser influence is in Albuquerque.  It should also make us wonder what happened to Greenwood & Streicher LLC regarding the New Orleans Police Department. 

Demand that the city council and Berry publicly ask these questions!

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/meet-the-police-monitors/Content?oid=2184862

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/video-camera-article-1.1363219 (written by Greenwood & Streicher, the only body camera reference is made by Taser June 2013)

Power Point Presentation by Scott Greenwood for Taser May 2011 (attached).  Ends with the statement “I am a believer!”

http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1678641,00.html October 2007

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/83120565/TASER-Electronic-Control-Devices-_ECDs_(May2011) Greenwood quote, “There is zero justification to be against these weapons.”

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=129937&p=irol-newsArticle_pf&ID=700935&highlight= (Taser press release for investors, listing Scott Greenwood)

http://www.taser.com/videos/on-officer-cameras/chief-tom-streicher (from Taser’s website featuring Tom Streicher).

http://www.evidence.com/ (from Taser’s Evidence.com website featuring this quote by Tom Streicher, “ Evidence.com is undoubtedly the best solution for any police agency seeking to leverage the power and economic advantage of cloud technology.”

We could go on and on with links connecting Taser with Schultz, Greenwood and Streicher but I think you get the point.  There is nothing wrong with these guys liking the Taser product, where the problem comes in is that they appear to be selling the Taser product.  At a time when Taser abuse in Albuquerque received special notice in the DoJ report.  This also goes hand in hand with the Taser Axon Body Camera no bid contract that Schultz handled for Taser while he was still chief.  Now we have Taser people, Greenwood & Streicher being the only folks contacted to defend the city in talks with the DoJ.  Can these people serve Albuquerque citizens and serve Taser?  Is there a conflict of interest?

Are there other departments that Taser International is corrupting?

http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2014/03/25/study-contrasts-rialto-police-albuquerque-police-regards-body-mounted-cameras/

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57025997-78/force-lake-salt-police.html.csp

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/techflash/2014/04/taser-showcases-new-technology-to-international.html?page=all

It certainly seems that there is a very cozy relationship between Taser and Rialto Police Chief Farrar and Salt Lake City Police Chief Burbank, both of whom are speaking on Taser’s behalf at upcoming Taser Technology Summit June 6, at Taser Headquarters in Scottsdale (along with recently retired APD Chief Ray Schultz).  Burbank, in the article linked above, went so far as to stress that he does not work for Taser.  Now why would he say that?  Is he and Farrar being paid by their towns while selling Taser products in Scottsdale?  Is Taser providing the airfare, food and lodging for them while in Scottsdale?  Working for Taser or being compensated by Taser or being provided gifts by Taser, what is the difference?  Both of these chiefs are walking down the same road that Taser and Ray Schultz have done in Albuquerque.  Maybe the Department of Justice needs to review these two chiefs of Police and Taser’s relationship with them.  It is one thing to say body cameras should be used by law enforcement, it is entirely different to have active members of law enforcement selling a certain type of body camera.  Add to that that these members of law enforcement are chiefs of police who have the final say in approving multi-million dollar contracts and you can see where this activity has crossed the line.

Albuquerque certainly looks like it is owned by Taser International.  Towns like Rialto, California and Salt Lake City, Utah look like Taser has its prongs into them as well.  Is it illegal for these chiefs of police to be working on Taser’s behalf, while still working for their community?  I hope the Department of Justice decides to investigate and answer this question.  Is it ethical?  Not by anyone’s standards. 

Welcome to the new age of the Law Enforcement Industrial Complex.

Taser owns us, their advocates are here, are we OK with this? 

P.S. We found it very interesting that on June 12, 2013, Schultz REDUCED the use of a taser in APD’s use of force procedure to that of pepper spray (check APD Procedural Order 2-52-9 G). We all know what that means, lower justified use of force means MORE use of that particular weapon…..

---Rascally Rabbit

Thank You

A Conversation that Hurts...

Burr-eat-ohs please....

Four and a half years ago, in December 2009, Richard Berry took office as the mayor of the city of Albuquerque. Ray Schultz was chief of the Albuquerque Police Department then, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Berry brought Darren White in to be Schultz’s boss. And with them came Rob Perry as the city’s attorney. White and Perry, two politically connected players with a faction of the state’s fringe Republican party led by their White and Perry’s legal anti-sage Paul Kennedy and a political stooge known as Richard Berry. Who had anything to worry about?

Under this triad of Berry-Perry-White, Schultz was let loose without controls to keep his machinations in place as he focused on things OTHER than professional policing. And as Schultz abandoned his post as chief, questionable shootings occurred. Then when there was no accountability for the questionable shootings, officers pushed the envelope and used force at anything that moved or appeared to move. Then grotesque actions of misconduct followed with the nadir exemplified by the direct and deliberate actions by the very leaders Berry appointed, or retained, to run the city: Perry, White, and Schultz.

Then the citizens started to push back. Push came in the form of speeches at city council and in the form of litigation. Finally demands for an outside entity echoed across the country into the halls of “Main Justice” in Washington, D.C. While Schultz abdicated his position as chief to build his resume, nurture business relationship, and practice “nature at play” with the ladies the city and the department was under the microscope. 

Realizing an outside investigation would expose all the other things that have been going on in the city and in APD, Schultz started to make wild and bizarre actions in contrast to what he’d been doing. He even actively sought criminal indictments against his own officers whom he had previously openly praised..

Now with the DOJ concluding that APD has been run as one of the worst and most violent police departments in the nation, Berry completes the circle of lies in last nights In-Focus program on KNME with Schultz’s two buddies from Taser: Greenwood and Streicher. (watch it here: http://www.newmexicopbs.org/productions/newmexicoinfocus/)

Under Berry’s view of the last few years, he’s been “committed” to the department and the citizens of Albuquerque; right, because that’s why citizens have taken to the streets, to city council, and to the courts and are winning on a such a level the national media refers to our city and department has being legendary in its corruption.

From the interview:

Streicher and Greenwood

As Taser’s Streicher and Greenwood point out, there’s a desire to improve the image and effectiveness of APD and the city; this of course CONFIRMS the failure of the last four and a half years. They also confirm that for 4 ½ years the community and the officers who have been treated like Omaree by Berry have been left on Berry’s sidelines. They also CONFIRM rules and regulation changes, like the superficial one’s Berry put into place are not effective.

Berry

He’s going to ask DOJ to make sure the Federal Monitor is meaningful and will support obtainable milestones. Again, Berry CONFIRMS the failures he’s responsible for over the last 4 ½ years of running the city. Berry also finally makes the audacious statement that the lawsuits that have plagued this city are Marty Chavez’s fault. In saying this, he CONFIRMS his failure to keep Ray Schultz as chief and sidesteps the Ellis trial which wholly falls at his feet for the city’s largest police related judgment (nevermind what’s coming from all the others and especially the James Boyd killing). As Berry said, “April 11 started a new era of policing” and that we should get to “effective and Constitutional policing” again confirming the previous four years have been a period of darkness and failure. But he hedges his statement with making sure things are “balanced.” We hope Luis Saucedo from DOJ heard that loud and clear. Berry continues with his pontificating about bringing the community together (after all he’s done to let it fall apart).

In light of all these acknowledgments and admissions that the city and department has been not all the great things he said it was while fighting against DOJ from coming in, Berry was asked about the city’s handling of the suspicious death scene of Mary Han, and whether he was ready to “adjust the city’s posture” in response to the NM Attorney General’s condemnation of APD’s handling of the scene. Remembering Berry’s response was to call the allegations “frivolous,” Berry’s response was to say he wasn’t “familiar with what the legal department is doing with that…the mayor doesn’t run investigations” and that city’s handling of the Han scene is “not related to DOJ’s findings.” Berry also adds that “they’ve always been willing to come to the table.”

In making those remarks Berry confirms he will only do those things he is compelled to do. And when finally he is dragged to the “table” he will spin it and make it look like he’s been at the table all along. The reality is, and his comments throughout this interview reveal, that he has been feasting on this city like the fat man above and now we are seeing him scramble….and Richard Berry, this is a conversation that is going to continue……..and get much worse.

Tentacles of Taser

Was Taser the only company selling Body Cameras and is there another product being sold?

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3436194.shtml?cat=500#.U3TeXjhOW70

As everyone knows retired APD Chief and now Taser employee Ray Schultz helped Taser get a $1,950,000 contract with the City of Albuquerque for body cameras for APD.  We all know that currently the Albuquerque Inspector General, the New Mexico Office of State Auditor, the New Mexico Attorney General and possibly the Department of Justice are investigating Schultz and Taser for pay to play.  Finally the check and balances citizens depend upon seem to be working.

Or so we hope.

It seems we have bought a Taser product that has problems.  So many times there are no APD videos because of Taser camera malfunction and when there is a video all we see are the officers’ armpits or the people standing to the right of the officer.  Very rarely do we see the actual event.

We would then assume that all police departments are having this same problem, and we would be wrong.  Albuquerque’s smaller neighbor, Los Lunas Police Department just upgraded to HD body cameras.  A report from KOB TV shows that LLPD was so satisfied with their original product that they have upgraded the cameras.  How can this be?  Schultz told the City of Albuquerque that the Taser Body Camera contract had to be “sole source” meaning that no other company manufactured this type of product but ONLY Taser.   

Did LLPD buy the Taser body camera?  NO!  LLPD were good stewards of the public money and actually researched their product choices and made the best decision based upon the product and the cost, not the kickback and promise of future employment.  The MUVI-LE PRO (made by Veho-World) was one of the most affordable body cameras on the market with a MSRP of $249.95 and $119.95 for the Micro version.  Compare this to the Axon Flex (what Schultz sold to Albuquerque) coming in at $499!  Not to mention the big money that Taser makes on the multi-year contract with Albuquerque for Evidence.com.  Evidence.com is Taser’s “cloud” that all APD video is uploaded to.  This is where the big money comes into play.  It’s not just that the cameras cost more than double other and possibly better cameras on the market, it is the tethering of Albuquerque to a multi-year contract for Evidence.com. First we pay a premium for a inferior product, then we pay monthly fees like an expensive condo package.

By doing this Taser has its teeth into Albuquerque forever.  Because Taser is holding our video recordings, our evidence.  If the city were to end the contract with Taser in five years, what would happen to all those videos uploaded to Evidence.com?  Nobody knows and that is scary.

Can you see why Taser wanted to get Schultz on their side?  By getting Schultz to claim this was a sole source contract there was no review of the competition.  By getting Schultz in bed with them, Taser signed the largest contract in Taser history ($1,950,000).  By getting Schultz to convince the city that Evidence.com is the way to go, Taser has guaranteed they will be getting Albuquerque money for years to come, maybe forever.  Albuquerque could have easily created their own cloud storage for the videos.  Why didn’t they?  Does anyone think it is a good idea to have third party manage evidence storage of any type?  Does anyone think it is a good idea to sign a contract with a company who may not give back the evidence if their contract is ended?  What would this do to Chain of Custody?  Evidence.com is a nightmare scenario for Albuquerque criminal justice if Albuquerque Police ever decide they don’t want it.  That means Taser Evidence.com can (and probably will) raise the price when the contract is up. 

What is Albuquerque going to do about it?

And let’s not forget Taser guns.  They were bought by APD because Taser convinced Schultz that using Taser guns would reduce the number of lethal encounters with police and reduce the number of abuse complaints.  Open the DOJ report and you will see that police shootings in Albuquerque are up, WAY UP.  Six pages of this report were used to detail Taser abuse by police officers.  We didn’t have these issues prior to Taser coming to town, is it time to say Taser is a failure?   The recent video of the student who lost a testicle in a fight with an APD officer shows the officer initially threatening the citizen with a Taser after he said “sit down” almost 18 times. What ever happened to command presence? 

Do any of you citizens think it is a good idea to do business with a company who buys off police chiefs?  Who own OUR evidence?  Whose product fails at an alarming rate? Whose stun guns have cost us millions but have not reduced the number of police shootings but have increased the number of stun gun abuses?

The city council must void the Taser contracts as quickly as possible to avoid Albuquerque being on the hook to Taser for years to come.  This is easily done once the Inspector General, etc find that laws and rules were violated by Schultz and Taser.  Taser is the new law enforcement industrial complex and Albuquerque is going to be owned by Taser.  Don’t believe me?  Just wait………. 

--Desert Hawk